Post's take on CSU editorial: 2 letters

I often hear fools say, “I believe in freedom of speech, but … ,” and I expect their next words to be nonsense. I do not expect to find such nonsense in the editorial page of a newspaper. You either believe in the doctrine, espoused in our constitution, or you don’t.

Student editor J. David McSwane was expressing an opinion in a forum that is read almost exclusively by adults. There is a responsibility to be “respectful,” as you state in your editorial, but it could be adverse to seeking and stating the truth. There was too much “respect” given to Bush, Cheney, et al, when they were lying us into a war.

McSwane is not a “would-be-journalist”; he is gutsy, smart and will, I predict, become a famous, successful journalist.

Francis R. Salazar, Cherry Hills Village

. . .

Thank you for your editorial. I think you hit the mark more than anything else I’ve seen in print. I suggest the analogy that college student newspapers are to journalism what diapers are to pants, and I think poetic justice is available.

I recommend the young man be demoted to reporter, where he will get firsthand experience in getting his articles approved by the editor.

Reference the first letter:
So if you are a “Bush hater” then irresponsible speech against him is acceptable?

I believe in free speech, BUT…this isn’t about free speech. Ask Imus about the difference between free speech and irresponsible speech. Any one of us would be fired from our jobs if we were to say the same thing at wour work.

Dennis

Reference the first letter:
So if you are a “Bush hater” then irresponsible speech against him is acceptable?

I believe in free speech, BUT…this isn’t about free speech. Ask Imus about the difference between free speech and irresponsible speech. Any one of us would be fired from our jobs if we were to say the same thing at wour work.

Dennis

Reference the first letter:

Freedom of Speech: “You never know how precious freedom of speech is until you meet somehow who has had it taken from them—literally taken from them. During a patrol we came upon two hungry Iraqi men scavenging for food. When our translator began speaking with the men I noticed that one of them had a stub for a tongue. Through the translator we learned that the tongue-less man had spoken against the regime and that Saddam’s henchmen had severed his tongue. Saddam had quite literally removed the man’s freedom of speech.”

From: Marco Martinez, a recipient of the Navy Cross, is author of the new book Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero (Crown Forum).

Dennis

Reference the first letter:

Freedom of Speech: “You never know how precious freedom of speech is until you meet somehow who has had it taken from them—literally taken from them. During a patrol we came upon two hungry Iraqi men scavenging for food. When our translator began speaking with the men I noticed that one of them had a stub for a tongue. Through the translator we learned that the tongue-less man had spoken against the regime and that Saddam’s henchmen had severed his tongue. Saddam had quite literally removed the man’s freedom of speech.”

From: Marco Martinez, a recipient of the Navy Cross, is author of the new book Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero (Crown Forum).

Bob Cormack

This has nothing to do with free speech. A case could be made that McSwane is a vandal — same as if he tagged your house with his “editorial” — he broke his contract and caused damages and should be held responsible.

However, his “editorial” is anything but: Editorials are understood to be rational presentations of
opinion and viewpoints. Profanity is the exact opposite of this, being
processed by the emotional/instinctual part of the brain and actually inhibiting
rational thought. Often when people resort to profanity it is because they have nothing
rational to say. (Colorado’s “Fighting Words” law implicitly recognizes that profanity is not communication, and is not protected speech.)

Regardless of his inexperience, McSwane’s ignorance (or flaunting?) of this shows him to be profoundly incompetent as an editor and he should be replaced.

Bob Cormack

This has nothing to do with free speech. A case could be made that McSwane is a vandal — same as if he tagged your house with his “editorial” — he broke his contract and caused damages and should be held responsible.

However, his “editorial” is anything but: Editorials are understood to be rational presentations of
opinion and viewpoints. Profanity is the exact opposite of this, being
processed by the emotional/instinctual part of the brain and actually inhibiting
rational thought. Often when people resort to profanity it is because they have nothing
rational to say. (Colorado’s “Fighting Words” law implicitly recognizes that profanity is not communication, and is not protected speech.)

Regardless of his inexperience, McSwane’s ignorance (or flaunting?) of this shows him to be profoundly incompetent as an editor and he should be replaced.

Vincent Carroll is The Denver Post's editorial page editor. He has been writing commentary on politics and public policy in Colorado since 1982 and was originally with the Rocky Mountain News, where he was also editor of the editorial pages until that newspaper gave up the ghost in 2009.

Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 150 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address, day and evening phone numbers, and may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.

To reach the Denver Post editorial page by phone: 303-954-1331

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